Maqui juice and other foreign foodstuffs with no U.S. distributor

At least that’s how Claudio Cid Alda sees it. As general manager of Bberri, a Chilean company that specializes in juice made from the maqui (pronounced mah-kee) berry, Alda is charged with trying to break into the U.S. market. In some ways, that doesn’t seem like it should be such a difficult a task, since maqui is rich in antioxidants and has been hailed as the next big “superfruit.” Plus, Bberri’s products, including a sweet-tart blueberry-maqui juice blend, are certified organic and therefore all the more suited to the tastes of the health-conscious American public.

But Alda knows that America is a country of many gourmet, organic and specialty-food choices: Just walk the aisles of any Whole Foods for proof. At the same time, it’s a country that, by virtue of its sheer size and relative prosperity, can’t be ignored: Alda estimates that U.S. sales could easily account for 65% of Bberri’s eventual revenue. “We have big hopes,” he says.

Bberri, a Chilean company that specializes in juice made from the maqui.

He’s not alone. Bberri was just one of hundreds of foreign food companies showcasing their products at the recent Fancy Food Show in New York, the country’s largest gourmet expo. In many cases, these are brands and products with little to no exposure in the U.S., often in spite of the fact that they are extremely popular at home. So they take to the convention floor and try to woo distributors, retailers and just plain foodies. (The distribution is key, since no product can make it to market shelves otherwise. But even brands with distributors aren’t guaranteed sales, so they still need to promote themselves.)

Those on hand covered just about every category from soup to nuts — or, more accurately, from soda to chips. Almdudler, an Austrian soft drink that’s a close rival to Coca-Cola in its native country, was touting its classic formula (“made from 32 Alpine herbs”). As for the chips, Torres, a Spanish brand that’s been in the snacks business since 1969, was hawking a “premium” line of potato chips flavored with black truffles and Mediterranean herbs, among other varieties.

Wine, beer and spirits brands were in abundance too. A couple of Polish producers were promoting mead, a honey wine that has a loyal following in the country. And Belgian brewer Broeder Jacob was trying to sell American beer drinkers on its double espresso coffee beer.

It’s clear that there’s money to be made in America: Food imports have more than doubled in the past decade, from $46.2 billion in 2002 to $105.9 billion in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But the reasons go beyond America’s sheer size, affluence and appetite for the new and unusual. There’s also the fact that the U.S. remains very much a land of immigrants, so foreign brands have a built-in market with ethnic constituencies. At the Greek pavilion at the Fancy Food Show, for example, Greek wine producers were talking more about bringing their brands into Greek restaurants than about getting into corner liquor stores.

And it helps that the U.S. imposes relatively low tariffs on foreign goods. (One notable exception during George W. Bush’s presidency: The United States slapped a 300% tariff on Roquefort cheese from France, a move that was seen as a response to the country’s lack of support for the Iraq War.) And as new trade agreements are signed, there’s opportunity for more products from more countries. Ron Tanner, spokesman for the Specialty Food Association, the trade group that produces the Fancy Food Show, points to recent agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia as examples.

Then again, a country can also gain ground because foodies suddenly “discover” it. “Korea is a hot country now. Everyone is taking a liking to kimchi,” says Tanner, referring to the pickled cabbage that is considered Korea’s national dish.

Which raises a larger point: While trade shows have their place, some food retailers say the real trends are shaped by the Food Network, food blogs and other media outlets that cover the gourmet or nutrition universe. If they spotlight a country’s cuisine (or a particular dish or specialty food), it will translate into sales. “And if Dr. Oz features something, everyone starts asking for it,” says Jim Beckett, manager of specialty foods for Jungle Jim’s International Market, a gourmet emporium with two locations in Ohio.

Still, that doesn’t deter the foreign brands that make it each year to the Fancy Food Show and spend tens of thousands of dollars on travel and booth-rental expenses in the process. Back at the Chile pavilion, the offerings extend beyond maqui juice. Producers of olive oil and wine are making their pitch. Even a company that markets canned abalone (it’s a seafood specialty that’s gaining ground in the United States) is busily offering samples.

But notably missing is a company that specializes in carica, a Chilean fruit that’s sometimes dubbed the “mountain papaya.” It turns out the brand that’s heavily promoted the fruit in a jarred version has done so well with it, there hasn’t been a need to return to the convention floor.

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